The Basin Street Six - America's Music - Mercury Record

The Basin Street Six - America's Music

1952 Mercury Records MG 25160 Mono 10" LP

Side A:
1. Panama
2. If I Could Be With You
3. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
4. Bye and Bye

Side B:
1. Sunday
2. Melancholy Rhapsody
3. Lil' Liza Jane
4. Hindustan

Liner Notes:

Another variation of this LP. This was the first release, smaller cover printed on a 10" cover. The flip side of the cover has ads for other Mercury albums. Otherwise, everything is the same as the other Mercury releases.

Personnel:
George Girard trumpet
Joe Rotis trombone
Pete Fountain clarinet
Roy Zimmerman piano
Bunny Franks bass
Charlie Duke drums

Recording Dates New Orleans August and November 1950, Chicago September 19, 1951, Record released March 1952.

From 1950-1954, Pete led The Basin Street Six, a band that also featured legendary trumpet player/vocalist George Girard, along with Joe Rotie on trombone, Roy Zimmerman on piano, Buddy Franks on bass and Charlie Duke on drums.

Dixieland in 1950 was no longer popular and the Basin Street Six was created as the greatest unemployed band in the City, It was George Girard who came up with a regular two nights a week job at L'Enfants on Canal Boulevard. The band had to play dance music mostly. Bill Reed of WWL TV picked up the show as part of his dixieland revival campaign and within three months the Basin Street Six had found their niche as a funny hat band, wearing old Mardi Gras costumes, switching instruments and even dressing up as girls on occasions, a real fun band but still playing good dixieland jazz.

In fact the band was good enough to make their first recording session towards the end of the year. The group soon landed a recording contract with the Mercury imprint in 1952. For Mercury they recorded a handful of singles and LPs. Pete Fountain was on his way.

When the TV job closed, L'Enfants returned to having only a dance music policy and late in 1951 the Basin Street Six were again looking for work. Within a week the band opened at Perez's Oasis and then the Silver Slipper Club on Bourbon Street (the same building that housed the Silver Slipper Club became Your Father's Moustache' during the 60's and 70's but now no longer exists as a jazz venue).

Soon they were playing six nights a week all over the City, the dixieland revival was in full swing. A second recording session was made this time for Mercury Records. Down Beat carried a story, the band were now living like celebrities. Blaise D'Antoni, president of the Standard Fruit Company, the largest importer of bananas in New Orleans, bought the band under a ninety-nine year contract, he liked the way they clowned and played. All the members of the band signed the contract, part of the deal being that the Standard Fruit Company continued to call the band the Basin Street Six. The band opened on a banana boat bound for Honduras, a two week cruise entertaining Mr. D'Antoni's guests. Everybody had a good time but it could not last and the ninety-nine year contract ended after three months, with everyone parting friends.

Back in New Orleans the Basin Street Six played the intermission set for a Louis Armstrong concert at the Municipal Auditorium, a fitting accolade for the fine little band. A trip to the Blue Note in Chicago was reluctantly made, none of the men wanted to be away from home for long. There were periods of squabbling and it became obvious that there were feelings of discontent among the fellows, they were falling out over everything. In four years the band had always been run as a cooperative unit, no leader, but this had not always been easy as George Girard was really a natural leader with a superstrong personality. Upon returning from Chicago George quit the band to form him own group, Connie Jones replaced him for a while, Roy Zimmerman and Pete Fountain left a few weeks later. It was 1954, the Basin Street Six were no more. George Girard was destined to be one of New Orleans greatest talents, but unfotuneayely passed away from colon cancer at the young age of 26 two years later. A chapter completes in the continuing story of New Orleans dixieland jazz.

Basin Street Six - Mercury Records

Basin Street Six

1951 Mercury Records MG 25111 10" LP

Side A:
1. Farewell Blues
2. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
3. Muskrat Ramble
4. Margie

Side B:
1. Basin Street Stomp
2. Lazy River
3. Tin Roof Blues
4. That's A Plenty

Liner Notes:

George Girard (trumpet,vocals)
Joe Rotis (trombone)
Pete Fountain (clarinet)
Roy Zimmerman (piano)
Bunny Franks (bass)
Charlie Duke (drums)

Recorded in New Orleans, September 19, 1951

Here is a Dixieland Jazz concert direct from the cradle of jazz. It is in the style Wingy Manone calls "the New Orleans drop". The traditional front line consists of 21-year-old George Girard. trumpet; 20-year-old Pete Fountain. clarinet; and 30-year-old Joe Rot is. trombone. This trio is dynamite on individual solos as well as on driving ensembles. Backing them up, we have a typical Crescent City rhythm unit. consisting of Roy Zimmerman's incisive piano that knocks off a fine ragtime solo at times, Charlie Duke's drumming. and Bunny Frank's firm string bass. This sextet from famed Basin Street is more than a mere carrying-on of a tradition during the current Dixieland revival. They are a reincarnation of one of the first great jazz bands in American music.

Thirty years ago a jazz band made up of young New Orleans musicians opened at Mike Fritzeh's Friars Inn in Chicago. They were known as the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and destined to considerably influence American dance music. Their creativeness and lack of musical inhibitions made the Friar's a music classroom for Chicago musicians. Many lessons were taken by the jazz immortal Bix Beiderbecke and his pal Hoagy Carmichael. Benny Goodman in his short pants assiduously studied the Rhythm King recordings made for the old Gennett record company. These same discs are today valuable collector's items demanding high premium prices.

History has repeated itself, for the new generation group, THE BASIN STREET SIX, have also come up the Mississippi and captured the hearts of Chicago crowds at both Jazz, Ltd.. and the Blue Note. Their hearty ensembles and striking soloists are reminiscent of the atmosphere that used to prevail when Al Jolson. Isham Jones, Al Capone, and a little chorus girl named Joan Crawford used to bounce as they listened to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings.

The personnel of both bands is predominantly made up of fun-hying youngsters full of the "hokum" traditional among New Orleans musicians.While the Rhythm Kings used to put mustard plaster on each others seats on the stand, the Basin Street Boys have channeled their excess energy into comedy acts that have proven highly entertaining to their audiences. This buoyant spirit comes through on these lively sides. The excellent solo work by Girard and Fountain is similar and reminds jazz students of their Rhythm King counterparts Paul Mares, trumpet. and Leon Rappolo, clarinet, both now passed away. Trombonist Joe Robs not only looks like George Brunis of the earlier hand but plays like him in New Orleans tailgate style.

Similarities between the two bands continue in the tunes played. Three of the most famous N.O.R.K. recordings were of the tunes Tin Roof Blues. That's A Plenty, and Farewell Blues. Here The Basin Streeters give these a going over in modern Dixie style. Pete Fountain does the fine clarinet work on Tin Roof and rivals the classic Rappolo's clarinet made of the number. Girard drives through on That's A Plenty in a like manner to the way Paul Mares did thirty years ago. Farewell Blues. now a standard number, was written by the boys in the early Rhythm King band. The Basin Street group play this tune beautifully and also do one of their own originals, Basin Street Stomp, a side that has tremendous power.

Completing the Dixieland Jazz concert herein packaged are a rousing version of Muskrat Ramble, a tantalizing Margie featuring George Girard's vocal, and a sprightly novelty run-down of the old tune Last Night On The Back Porch, with choir vocal - and finally a beautiful trumpet interpretation of Louis Armstrong's old theme song. When It's Sleepy Time Donn South. We feel this Dixieland session will go down in American music annals alongside the old N.O.R.K. Gennetts as living proof of the undying musical worthiness of pure New Orleans jazz.

- GEORGE HOEFER

The Basin Street Six - America's Music - Mercury Records

The Basin Street Six - America's Music

1952 Mercury Records MG 25160 Mono 10" LP

Side A:
1. Panama
2. If I Could Be With You
3. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
4. Bye and Bye

Side B:
1. Sunday
2. Melancholy Rhapsody
3. Lil' Liza Jane
4. Hindustan

Liner Notes:

Personnel:
George Girard trumpet
Joe Rotis trombone
Pete Fountain clarinet
Roy Zimmerman piano
Bunny Franks bass
Charlie Duke drums

Recording Dates New Orleans August and November 1950, Chicago September 19, 1951, Record released March 1952

From 1950-1954, Pete led The Basin Street Six, a band that also featured legendary trumpet player/vocalist George Girard, along with Joe Rotis on trombone, Roy Zimmerman on piano, Buddy Franks on bass and Charlie Duke on drums.

Dixieland in 1950 was no longer popular and the Basin Street Six was created as the greatest unemployed band in the City. It was George Girard who came up with a regular two nights a week job at L'Enfants on Canal Boulevard. The band had to play dance music mostly. Bill Reed of WWL TV picked up the show as part of his dixieland revival campaign and within three months the Basin Street Six had found their niche as a funny hat band, wearing old Mardi Gras costumes, switching instruments and even dressing up as girls on occasions, a real fun band but still playing good dixieland jazz.

In fact the band was good enough to make their first recording session towards the end of the year. The group soon landed a recording contract with the Mercury imprint in 1952. For Mercury they recorded a handful of singles and LPs. Pete Fountain was on his way.

When the TV job closed, L'Enfants returned to having only a dance music policy and late in 1951 the Basin Street Six were again looking for work. Within a week the band opened at Perez's Oasis and then the Silver Slipper Club on Bourbon Street (the same building that housed the Silver Slipper Club became Your Father's Moustache' during the 60's and 70's but now no longer exists as a jazz venue).

Soon they were playing six nights a week all over the City, the dixieland revival was in full swing. A second recording session was made this time for Mercury Records. Down Beat carried a story, the band were now living like celebrities. Blaise D'Antoni, president of the Standard Fruit Company, the largest importer of bananas in New Orleans, bought the band under a ninety-nine year contract, he liked the way they clowned and played. All the members of the band signed the contract, part of the deal being that the Standard Fruit Company continued to call the band the Basin Street Six. The band opened on a banana boat bound for Honduras, a two week cruise entertaining Mr. D'Antoni's guests. Everybody had a good time but it could not last and the ninety-nine year contract ended after three months, with everyone parting friends.

Back in New Orleans the Basin Street Six played the intermission set for a Louis Armstrong concert at the Municipal Auditorium, a fitting accolade for the fine little band. A trip to the Blue Note in Chicago was reluctantly made, none of the men wanted to be away from home for long. There were periods of squabbling and it became obvious that there were feelings of discontent among the fellows, they were falling out over everything. In four years the band had always been run as a cooperative unit, no leader, but this had not always been easy as George Girard was really a natural leader with a super strong personality. Upon returning from Chicago George quit the band to form him own group, Connie Jones replaced him for a while, Roy Zimmerman and Pete Fountain left a few weeks later. It was 1954, the Basin Street Six were no more. George Girard was destined to be one of New Orleans greatest talents, but unfortunately passed away from colon cancer at the young age of 26 two years later. A chapter completes in the continuing story of New Orleans dixieland jazz.

Santo Pecora And His Dixie Land Jazz Band - Mercury Records

Santo Pecora And His Dixie Land Jazz Band
featuring Pete Fountain

1950 - Mercury Jazz Series C-419

Santo Pecora Photo

Side A
1. Listen (Ferber)

Side B
1. Mahogany Hall Stomp (Williams)

Liner Notes:

One of the earliest Pete Fountain recordings. No cover on this one, just the 78 rpm record.

Personnel:
George Girard, trumpet
Santo Pecora, trombone
Pete Fountain, clarinet
Armand Hug, piano
John Sinac, bass
Santo Pecora, drums

Recorded in New Orleans, LA, June 1950. Both sides are also available on Mercury MG C-123

The Basin Street Six playing Strictly Dixie - Mercury Records

The Basin Street Six playing Strictly Dixie

with Pete Fountain and George Girard

1957 Mercury Records MG 20151 High Fidelity (issued in Mono Only)

Side One
1. Panama
2. Sunday
3. Hindustan
4. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
5. Melancholy Rhapsody
6. My Inspiration

Side Two
1. That's A Plenty
2. Tin Roof Blues
3. Muskrat Ramble
4. Farewell Blues
5. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
6. Basin Street Stomp

Liner Notes:

Strictly Dixie - The Basin Street Six featuring Pete Fountain and George Girard

Recorded in Chicago, IL, September 19, 1951 Originally released in 1957, these liner notes were added to copies pressed in the 1960's.)

The Basin Street Six:
George Girard trumpet
Joe Rotis trombone
Pete Fountain clarinet
Roy Zimmerman piano
Bunny Franks bass
Charlie Duke drums

It was rather ironic when Pete Fountain walked off with the Down Beat International Jazz Critics' poll as new star for 1960, because the goateed clarinetist has been a professional musician of stature among the cognoscenti for over a decade. As evidenced by this album, the greatness was always there. For here we have the Fountain clarinet recorded around the mid-Fifties with the late George Girard and the Basin Street Six. Proof that Fountain was great even in the early years is found in these grooves, wherein leader Girard and sideman Fountain share almost equally in the solo portions.

And, typically, it's the drive and enthusiasm that catapulted Fountain internationally in 1960. The same can be said of his early clarinet. Even in the ensemble portions of this record, you'll find Fountain the standout, despite the fact that he leaves the high-register pyrotechnics for other reed contemporaries and just blows with the Dixieland group.

Fountain, on this record, seems to be extremely pleased with the repertoire and well he should be, for it's the heart of Bourbon St. standards. Too, there's a fluid quality in the whole performance which indicates the hours and years the Basin Street Six worked together.

Though Fountain made it big when Lawrence Welk surprised the music world by hiring this swinging clarinet on a steady basis, it's very easy to see why Fountain had made his mark with the knowing long before the bubbling maestro inked him to a contract.